Being Dead are best friends that live in an alternate universe. The artsy garage rock trio from Austin were started by Falcon Bitch and Shmoofy (formerly known as Gumball), two multi-instrumentalists that harmonize, share lead vocals, and swap instruments. Their peculiar names and amorphous configuration evoke a sense of strangeness, one further underscored by their online biography–which claims the two met “as chimney sweeps in the mid-1700s, as shoemakers in Middle England, as competing acrobats in a traveling circus”. The same half-baked zaniness fuels their music. Their sophomore release, EELS, out now on Bayonet Records, is raucous fun–unpredictable, catchy, aggressive, and absurd–embodying the wild energy of their live shows and imagination through their fantastical whimsy.
The pair’s quirky antics manifested on their 2021 full-length debut When Horses Would Run, which found them experimenting with a unique blend of sloppy punk-fueled riffs, surfy instrumentals, reverb-thick harmonies, and introspective folk. They sang songs about carefree shoplifters, wayward cowboys, and the final moments of a lonely buffalo. Being Dead captured the frenetic essence of their live shows, especially on “We Are Being Dead”, which introduced the members playing intentionally messy featured solos. For EELS, they enlisted friend and bassist Nicole Roman-Johnson, continuing to explore these themes but with a more mature and refined execution, thanks in part to producer John Congleton who has worked with Mannequin Pussy, St. Vincent, and Explosions in the Sky.
EELS opens with an out-of-tune strum above, accompanied by pulsing stabs on the low strings, like a train engine gaining speed. The song “Godzilla Rises” is a love song about the fictional creature. The duo trade off singing the lead and harmonizing with a thick reverb that holds on to consonants longer than expected. “Whose spines have handles for to [sic] hold you,” Dossier sings before an interrupting stop-start chorus. The drums pommel a cliche surf rock beat with added handclaps, and the lush vocal harmonies evoke a Beach Boys comparison. The track is a strong entry into the record and is representative of the excitement to follow.
“Van Goes” is a clever homophone with a similar vibe. The lyrics tell of a protagonist fed up with their dead-end job. If they could escape the daily grind and live off the land, they would have time for their beloved hobby: painting. “Blanket of My Bone” is assertive and sassy, but like many of their songs, that impression doesn’t last long. Being Dead suddenly drop down to half-time, making it seem like a completely different sound. This rollercoaster in dynamics is part of what makes the group intriguing; the turns are quick, and they don’t let their listeners get comfortable in one spot. You are pretty much at Being Dead’s chaotic whim, but that is what makes this band unique.
In contrast, “Problems” begins with a lovely but useless flute melody into a much darker sound than the previous upbeat songs. “Firefighters” is a song with fuzzy bass written from the perspective of an overworked and underappreciated Dalmatian. “Dragons II” is an understated gem that shifts into lo-fi folk–Being Dead used demos recorded on tape cassette. The guitar strums plaintively while the vocalists trade off, telling fantasy woes about not having dragons to fight or princesses to save.
“Rock and Roll Hurts” sounds like an unfinished song; the only parts are the repeated refrain in which they sing, “Rock and roll hurts baby, rock and roll hurts baby,” repeatedly, and the “verses”, which amount to the screeches of guitar feedback. It’s a fun little ditty, but it seems like a lone song fragment they couldn’t expand–but it’s possible they just chose not to.
Sometimes, sections of EELS don’t feel like they would fit. But Being Dead make them work like a collage. Even the subtle hit of a triangle and the warm tones of an organ may seem out of place, but they work to add spice to their capricious road map. Being Dead’s strength lies in their ability to take a half-written riff, a scribbled refrain, or a weird effect and turn it into something that sounds intentional and meaningful. They add or subtract beats in service of tripping up the listener, and while it could be viewed as a tactic to alienate them, the conception feels that they are taking them on a janky carnival ride. You know you might be in danger, but that is part of the fun.
EELS may be a record that some find too strange to digest. However, once you acclimate to their playfulness, you begin to grasp the essence of their world. It’s a bizarre, disjointed realm that constantly shifts, sweeping you up and launching you into the most unexpected places. Their inventive spirit and unconventional approach carve out unusual paths that, once traveled, become a delight to revisit. While the 16 tracks might seem daunting, most songs breeze by in just two or three minutes—an ideal length for digestion. Immerse yourself in Being Dead’s alternate reality and surrender to the chaotic whims of Falcon Bitch and Shmoofy; you will be glad you did.